Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) has trained local firms on how to ensure production of quality facemasks in an effort to support the country’s bid to stave off the spread of coronavirus.

The training comes in the wake of a Government directive compelling Rwandan to wear facemasks when going out for essential services or activities

Following the directive, Rwanda Food Drug Authority (FDA) released a list of over 20, mostly garment companies allowed to manufacture barrier and medical masks, along with wide ranging guidelines.

Two important standards on facemasks were developed.

Facemask manufacturers follow a presentation at Rwanda Standards Board in Kigali on Tuesday, April 28. Photo: Dan Nsengiyumva.

The training, which was carried out on Tuesday, April 28 aimed to help manufacturers to understand the standard so they can conform to quality standards.

"We want to make sure they have good manufacturing practices; washing hands before work, keeping distance between workers and more, so that the final product is healthy for consumers,” said Antoine Rukundo, the Quality Control Division Manager at Rwanda FDA.

As of Monday, local firms had manufactured two million facemasks, Rukundo said.

However, some producers said they faced challenges of accessing packaging materials as some potential suppliers are not operating due to the lockdown.

"Some materials are not available due to the lockdown…our usual suppliers are closed,” said Lorraine Umutoni Rwema from UZI Collections.

At the training, at the RSB head office, all manufacturers carried samples of their products for testing.

According to the RSB quality guidelines, the masks must not exceed a certain weight, should not make it difficult for the wearer to breathe, must not lose colour when washed or exposed to sunlight (bleach) among others.

Types of face masks and their hygiene

There are generally three types of facemasks used to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic; cloth face mask, surgical mask and N95 respirator.

N95 respirator

The ‘N95’ description means that when exposed to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) test particles.

If properly fitted, the filtration capabilities of N95 respirators exceed those of face masks.

It is therefore designed to achieve a very close facial fit. This, however, doesn’t mean that even a properly fitted N95 respirator completely eliminates the risk of illness. These are discouraged to be used by people with chronic respiratory, cardiac, or other medical conditions that make breathing difficult because the N95 respirator can make it more difficult for them to breathe.

It is also not for children or people with facial hair, since a proper fit cannot be achieved, hence the respirator may not provide full protection.

All N95 are for single use, hence should be disposed properly after use.

They should not be shared or worn for a long time.

Surgical facemasks

These are often blue, slightly loose fittings. They are meant to protect against large-particle droplets, splashes, sprays, or splatter that may contain germs from reaching your mouth and nose, but they also protect other people from your saliva and respiratory secretions.

However, surgical masks do not provide complete protection from germs and other contaminants because of the loose fit between the surface of the mask and the face of the wearer.

They should not be worn more than once and should never be shared.

Cloth facemasks

These are worn especially to prevent the spread of the virus from people without symptoms.

They are helpful when worn in public places where it’s difficult to maintain at least one metre from others.

Cloth facemasks are the most recommended, since surgical masks or N95 respirators are critical supplies and must be reserved for healthcare workers and other frontline workers.

They should be washed after every use, one must be careful not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth when removing, and they should wash hands immediately after removing the mask.